Instead of lowering her hand, she shook her head. There was desperation in her watery eyes. “What if he goes after your friends in Chicago next? He’s already killed my partner. And now he’s k-killed your—”
“Let me see your head, Grace.”
“He has to be s-stopped, Hunter.”
“I know. I’ll stop him.” It wasn’t arrogance that made him think he would be the one to end Orpheus. It was experience. Once he decided to do a thing, he didn’t quit until it was done. “If I have to hunt him to the ends of the Earth,” he swore lowly, “I’ll stop him.”
Another sob escaped her. “I can’t lose you t-too.” The way her voice cracked on the last word was like a dagger to the heart.
“You won’t lose me,” he promised and wanted to add,You’ll never lose me. I’m yours for as long as you want me.But instead he said again, “Show me your head.” His tone brooked no argument this time.
Her fingers were coated with thick, sticky blood when she pulled her hand away. He gently pushed back her hair and then swore when he saw the three-inch gash through her scalp. It was so deep, he thought he saw bone.
“We need to get you to the hospital.”
“No.” She grabbed his arm, her grip frantic. “I’ll be fine. And if we’re going to go after Orpheus,nowis the time. Before he has a chance to hide and lick his wounds. Before he has a chance to regroup.”
She was right, of course. But…
“I’m out of ammo. Even if—”
“The gun rack in the living room,” she cut him off and he stilled, his mind’s eye recalling the two shotguns Dale kept next to his Vietnam memorabilia. Dale had become an avid duck hunter after returning from the war.
“Figured I could use the skills the government taught me for good, ya know?”Dale had once said.“To put food on the table instead of puttin’ men in the ground.”
Thoughts of his friend had tears burning the backs of Hunter’s eyes, but he had no time to let them fall.
“Let’s go.” There was a determined cant to Grace’s chin. “I’m not as bad as—” She tried to stand, wobbled, and then fell back onto her butt in defeat.
His heart hurt for the guilt and self-recrimination he saw in her eyes. None of this was her fault, but that didn’t matter. Knowing her, she’d blame herself for everything anyway.
“You stay here,” he told her. “I’ll go finish this.” Because even though itkilledhim to leave her, she was right.Nowwas the time to stop the assassin. While the bastard was bleeding and hurting and desperate.
Her voice was little more than a wheeze as she shook his arm. “You stay alive, or I swear I’ll never forgive you.”
It was then he realized there were two things he didn’t have in him to deny. One was that he loved her more than he loved life itself. The other was that no matter what she asked, if it was within his power to give it to her, he would.
29
Black Knights Inc.
“Nice to see you again, Agent Greenlee,” Sam said to the disgruntled-looking FBI agent who stood at the top of the second-story stairs. The hours that’d passed since Eliza had escorted Greenlee out of the building were evident in the slight rumpling of the agent’s suit, the little grease spot staining his tie, and the tired look in the man’s eyes.
“Yo.” Sam lifted his chin to include the junior agents who were, as always, lined up behind Greenlee. “How’s it hangin’?”
Hannah rolled her eyes as she pushed past him and approached the Feds. “No one uses ‘how’s it hangin’ anymore, Sam. Sheesh. Why am I surrounded by men who refuse to keep up with the times?”
“Huh?” He quirked an eyebrow, wondering whichothermen in her life were using outdated language.
Instead of answering, she shook the agents’ hands and motioned them toward the conference table. “Thank you for coming back, gentlemen. I know it’s late and you’ve got a case you’re working. But if you’ll bear with us for a little while longer, I think you’ll see why it was important for us to call you back here.”
Greenlee narrowed his eyes, grabbing a seat at the table while his dutiful junior agents snagged the chairs on either side of him. “If this is some sort of distraction, I hate to be the one to tell you, you’re too late. We have a lead on Agent Beacham.” He looked at his watch. “Very soon now, I expect to be hearing from our colleagues in Michigan that they have the fugitive in custody.”
“I very much doubt that.” Hannah shook her head. “But on the off chance you’re right, they’ll be able to tell her we know where her investigation in Indiana went sideways.”
Greenlee lifted a questioning eyebrow at Sam, as if asking for corroboration.
Sam shook and then hitched his chin toward Hannah. “This is her show.”
